The Rubberband Man

"The Rubberband Man" is a song recorded by the American vocal group The Spinners.

For the song by T.I., see Rubber Band Man.

"The Rubberband Man"
Single by The Spinners
from the album
Happiness Is Being with the Spinners
B-side"Now That We're Together"
ReleasedAugust 1976
Recorded1976
StudioSigma Sound Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
GenreSoul, funk, Philly soul
Length3:33 (single edit)
7:22 (album version)
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Thom Bell
Linda Creed
Producer(s)Thom Bell
The Spinners singles chronology
"Wake Up Susan"
(1976)		 "The Rubberband Man"
(1976)		 "You're Throwing a Good Love Away"
(1977)

The song, written by producer Thom Bell and singer-songwriter Linda Creed, was about Bell's son, who was being teased by his classmates for being overweight. Intended to improve his son's self-image, the song eventually evolved from being about "The Fat Man" to "The Rubberband Man".[1]

The last major hit by the Spinners to feature Philippé Wynne on lead vocals, "The Rubberband Man" spent three weeks at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 (blocked from the top spot by Rod Stewart's massive hit single "Tonight's the Night") and topped the U.S. R&B chart at the end of 1976.[2] It was also a top-20 hit in the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 16 in October 1976.[3]

The song was included in the Detroit Free Press's "Detroit's 100 Greatest Songs" list, ranking 70th.[4]

Arrangement and structure

The arrangement opens with rhythmic clavinet and percussion, followed by a Philadelphia Soul string arrangement provided by the MFSB musicians. There are brief bursts of brass and piano. Singer Wynne's delivery is "singularly expressive" and the bridge and chorus provide for a classic call and response routine by supporting vocalists Bobbie Smith (tenor), Henry Fambrough (baritone), Billy Henderson (tenor/baritone) and Pervis Jackson (bass). The song also features the bass playing of Funk Brothers alumni Bob Babbitt.

Wynne alternates between singing the verse and interjecting verbal asides and improvises the eight bars linking the chorus with the bridge. The backing singers' retort of "do-do-do-do" recalls the distinctive chorus in Stephen Stills' song "Love the One You're With."[5]

Lyrical content

The song's opening line, "Hand Me Down My Walking Cane," is the title of an 1880 Negro folk spiritual.

Later uses
  • "The Rubberband Man" was used on the TV show Suits in the 2012 episode "Discovery".
  • The song enjoyed a surge in popularity in 2018 as a result of its use in the superhero movie, Avengers: Infinity War.

Personnel
  • Produced, arranged and conducted by Thom Bell

Charts

References
  1. Feldman, Christopher G. (2000). The Billboard Book of No. 2 Hits. Billboard Books. ISBN 0-8230-7695-4.
  2. Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942–2004. Record Research. p. 545.
  3. "The Detroit Spinners: The Rubberband Man". 45cat.com.
  4. "Detroit's 100 Greatest Songs". Retrieved May 10, 2018.
  5. Planer, Lindsay. "The Rubberband Man". AllMusic. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
  6. Steffen Hung. "Forum – 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  7. "Top 100 Year End Charts: 1976". Cashbox Magazine. Retrieved June 5, 2016.
  8. "Image : RPM Weekly – Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  9. "Top 100 Hits of 1977/Top 100 Songs of 1977". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  10. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
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